Cross My Heart and Hope to Die
by LilyGinnyBlack
Summary: ON HIATUS! SPOILERS for Shugo Chara Encore Chapter 4! No matter where he goes or how far away that may be, he promised he would return. So every year I sit here waiting, and every year he comes back to me.
1. Prologue: Like the Wind

_**Cross My Heart and Hope to Die**_

_**By:**_ _LilyGinnyBlack_

**Disclaimer: All the characters, settings, and etc. belong to ©Peach-Pit and ©Satelight respectively. Nothing belongs to me.**

**WARNING: There are SPOILERS for Chapter 4 of **_**Encore!**_** in this chapter, along with my own personal interpretations of things. So, if you do not want to be spoiled please DO NOT read.**

_A/N: Of course, you can also always go and download the scanlations from Futari wa Pretty Anon's site, read those, and then come and read this. ; ) Anyway, hello everyone! It's been a long time since I've posted anything. I've been extremely busy and not in the writing mood. But, Chapter 4 changed all that. This is going to be my last fanfic series for _Shugo Chara_. After this I'm going to finish up my one-shot series for _Pandora Hearts_ and likely take a break._

_None of these chapters are in any way related to any other fics I may have written for _Shugo Chara_, except for the ones specifically dealing with _Encore_. _

_Enough babbling by me though, enjoy the prologue!_

-()-

Prologue: Like the Wind…

I can feel him behind me. My head turns, eyes wide, afraid to be wrong…Afraid to be right. But then his warm hand and long fingers rest on my shoulder and I know that it is him. I could never forget.

He doesn't want me to make a sound, with a slender finger to his lips, but I don't think I could make a sound even if I wanted to. How did he know that I would be here? Why did he come now?

I don't know.

But he did, so I lean into him.

I can hear his heart beating. I close my eyes. I hope he can hear my heart beating too.

He promised me, long ago, before he left my father's business to unlock people's heart through his violin; that he would come back for me. No matter where he went or how far he had gone.

I had wanted to believe him, place all of my trust in him. But the moment he left everything started to change, everything started pressing down on me, everything was being destroyed right before my own eyes that my heart simply couldn't.

So I cried. So I became heart sick.

And everything just got worse. My daughter became ashamed of me, my son didn't know how to deal with me, and I had to pretend that I was with someone I had no love for. Just to keep up appearances. I watched as my children were mistreated and couldn't do anything but cry. I wanted to save them, protect them, but I was broken.

He hadn't come back for me, after all.

Promises were things that were never kept.

Those were the thoughts I had back then.

But then, everything changed: my son was home in his bed, there were tears in my eyes, and Kazuomi and I had long talk. Suddenly, everything seemed much clearer, I could see. I had hope and could make sense of everything that was constantly happening and changing around me.

And so, I decided. Ikuto looked at me, and I came clean about this fake marriage, about his father being out there, and he had a very determined expression upon his face. He was going to find his father, I was certain of this.

So, for the first time in a long time, I was able to be happy.

Since then I've been waiting.

Now he's finally here, with his arm around my waist. I know that he'll be leaving again, but he'll come back and this time I won't fall apart. I'll just continue to wait.

I stare at the crowd and spot a splash of pink and blue. My son and the girl that he's been near the whole wedding…I don't know who she is, but I can see that she is very important to him. He's looking at her with the same eyes that his father looks at me with.

Their hands are intertwined.

Very soon he is going to let go and journey off, just like his father did. Because Ikuto is just like his father, even I know this.

I'm just hoping that he'll be timelier on his promises. Though…That girl looks stronger than me.

Aruto combs his nose through my hair, taking a deep breath. Memorizing how I smell. He tightens his hold on me. Locking away the way I feel in his arms. A kiss is placed on the top of my head, a whispered "I love you" in my ears, and then, just as the crowd disperses, he's gone.

I just close my eyes and give a gentle smile, as the soft wind blows through my hair.

-()-

_A/N: …And that's my whole take on the Souko and Aruto relationship. This is the feeling that I got from the last chapter. Also, though it may not seem like it, the main focus of this series is going to be Amuto, though various other characters and pairings are going to be mentioned and play a somewhat vital role in the development of Amu and Ikuto's relationship._

_Tell me what you think of it in a review and take care!_

-Lily-


	2. First Promise: First Love

**Disclaimer: The title for this installment was shamelessly taken from an Utada Hikaru song of the same name. Most likely all of the installments will be named after songs. **

_A/N: Hello everyone! Here's the first chapter. This turned out far longer than I had planned. And it took longer to write than I would have liked. It's a bit dialogue heavy, but not all of them will be like that, especially once Amu starts getting older._

_Also, I have decided to add a little side story. It deals with the Charas and a "What If…" situation: What if they became human? It's AU, completely and utterly, and is a bit of a parody on soap operas and such, so don't take it seriously at all. It was written purely for my own amusement. Anyway…_

_Enjoy!_

-()-

**First Promise**: First Love

Even though she checked her phone about a million times, and even though she read over his message, which remained unchanging, just as many times, if not more, a part of Amu couldn't really believe that he had kept his promise.

Ikuto was coming to visit her. His text didn't say for how long, just that she was to meet him at the bench by the amusement park at the same time and on the same day that they did last year.

Last year.

A whole year had passed since she had last seen him.

And, though she was sitting at that bench and though she had come an extra half hour early out of pure anticipation, a part of her was expecting the hours to pass and for him to not show. The haunting thought that she would never see Ikuto again floated through Amu's head and she could feel tears starting to form for a reason she was still not wholly sure of (though she had a far better idea than she had a mere year ago).

She was prepared to wipe the tears viciously away, but didn't get the chance to, as hands far larger and warmer than her own cupped her cheeks and brushed the offending droplets away gently. "Didn't think I would come, huh?"

"N-No!" The response burst from her mouth without even a thought. Her mind was spinning. He had come after all. He had kept the first part of his promise. His promise…

'_I promise. No matter where I go or how far I go, I'll always come back to you.'_

And he certainly was back.

His hands had left her cheeks and he sat down on the bench next to her. A bit of a distance was between them just like last time. This different, slightly more thoughtful, Ikuto was showing himself again.

"You…You can come closer." Her cheeks were bright red, she knew it, but she meant what she said. This slightly older Ikuto who kept his promises…She trusted him completely.

He drew closer to her, not invading her personal bubble like he had done last time, though his hand did reach out and rest over hers, and she felt him lay out on the bench a bit, with his head leaning into her shoulder. "You trust me to be this close to you?" A tease was in his voice, but now she could pick up the small tone of doubt he always mixed into his witty comments, something she hadn't been able to do before.

"Yes." Once again, not a single bit of thought had to go into that one word. She meant it fully.

Ikuto just gave a small hum, and then asked, "Even if I said something like, 'It seems you've gotten a bit taller…But your breasts are still non-existent.'?"

Her hand whipped out and bopped him on the head, "Shut…Shut up!" Amu bit her bottom lip. Ikuto just chuckled. His laugh echoed somewhat in the night air.

All the while, the hand that he had placed over hers grasped hers and squeezed just a bit as his humor died down. "But, would you…?" His voice was serious, and though Amu was unable to see it, she had a feeling it looked similar to the expression he had worn when he had made his promise to her.

"Yeah, I would. I do."

His head lifted and his body shifted, no longer was he leaning against her shoulder, and Amu quickly noted how she wished he hadn't moved. She didn't voice this wish though, finding enough reassurances by their hands, which were now wrapped around each other. "So…What's been going on since I've gone?" He asked her in a very nonchalant way; nevertheless, she picked up a hint of uncertainty.

"No you first, Ikuto. Still no luck with finding your father?"

He stayed quiet for a moment before answering, "I haven't found him yet. But there were a few times when I thought I got close…"

"So, you're going to keep searching for him?"

"Yeah."

Amu placed a bit of comforting pressure onto the hand wrapped in hers, "Anything interesting happen in those faraway places you've been going to?"

"No." She was positive that he was lying, but nothing in his tone suggested that he was.

"Nothing?"

"Nothing."

"S-Tell me what's been going on around here. " Ikuto cut Amu off, his voice persistent but not harsh. "What have the Guardians been up to?"

Amu thought about it for a moment, figuring she was better off not knowing what had happened to Ikuto on his travels, if anything at all. "Well, "she began, "A little after you left, Hikaru-kun's egg hatched! His Shugo Chara's name is Houseki. He's such a cute little guy, likes digging in the dirt and playing. It's nice to know that Hikaru-kun wants to become someone like that…" A gentle smile appeared on Amu's face at the thought.

"Speaking of Shugo Chara…Where are yours?" Ikuto's voice was careful when he asked.

Smile still in place she answered back quickly, "They're doing fine actually. I told them to stay home tonight. Ami is currently playing dress up with them, I'm sure. The girls have met Houseki a few times, and have gotten along with him good enough. As for the Guardians in general, they're doing good. Kairi and Yaya make a good team."

"Really?"

"Yeah, I wouldn't have thought so either. Yaya can be a bit…"

"High maintenance?" Ikuto helpfully supplied with a small chuckle. Amu just nodded her head as she added:

"It's just part of her baby personality. If she's really set or determined to do something though…" Amu let the words die on her lips; she knew Ikuto knew what she was implying. "And Yaya was very determined to do everything right this past year. Kairi seemed quite impressed by her. I'm happy, now maybe…"

She heard Ikuto shift next to her, his hand made an odd twitch in her hand, "Oh, it's nothing." She tried to reassure the older teen, but there was a slight sharpness to his face, "Kairi has a crush on me. But, I think he is slowly starting to get over that. Especially since I haven't showed any interest in him…" The larger hand wrapped around hers instantly, and Amu believed subconsciously, loosed its grip at these words, even though she, herself, was slightly uncertain about them.

It was then that she realized that Ikuto hadn't said a single word, and yet she had understood his feelings completely. Such thoughts as those were a bit daunting for her though, and she decided that she wouldn't think about them quite yet.

"So…Not much has changed?"

"Not really. Yaya is going to be starting middle school this upcoming year, so hopefully I'll be able to see her more than I have been lately. The Guardians should be fine with Kairi and Hikaru-kun there. So, I'm not worried about that at all." As she talked, Amu consciously made sure not to look at Ikuto much. Ever since last year, when he showed her that expression…she was a bit frightened that her perception of him was going to change again. If she were to turn her head and look at him now, what kind of expression would she see? Would he show her another part of him like he promised?

She wasn't sure, so instead she just kept talking, "Things got a little awkward between me and Nagihiko at-"

"Nagihiko?"

"Remember, he was the boy who caused me to toss the bouquet like that at the wedding last year."

"Oh, yeah. Isn't he actually a girl or something like that?"

"N-no, Ikuto, you idiot!"

"What did I do!"

"Nagihiko just had to pretend to be a female. He told me that he was forced to dress, talk, and act like a female in order to keep up the family practice of traditional Japanese dance. He let me know all about it; we had a nice talk before he went to study abroad again. He says that it was very tough for him to behave like a female, when he was really male, and how he really just wanted to play basketball and hang out with other boys his age. He still wants to do basketball, but he's come to really love and appreciate dance too, especially when he went abroad to study. He said that there were _so many_ types of dances out there that he just never knew about."

Amu stopped talking when she heard Ikuto give a small sound of agreement to what she had just said, "That boy, he's right. The world is filled with so many things that we don't know." His tone was soft, just like last time…

Amu felt her heartbeat quicken and cheeks flush. Trying to keep her voice under control and still not look at him, Amu continued, "B-but, uh, things between Nagi and me…They've worked out. We're still really good friends. And Rima seems to be warming up to Nagihiko too; she was one of the first people to know about his secret. Apparently I was the last one to know. It was hard and somewhat embarrassing for him to do, so that's why it took him so long."

"…It's hard to say aloud something that you've kept to yourself for so long."

"Yeah," it was a pitiful response to such a strong statement, but Amu hadn't been able to think of anything else, or anything better. "Like, for a while now, I think there has been something going on between Kuukai and Utau. I-I don't really know what, but all of a sudden they've started hanging out all the time and going everywhere with each other. I didn't realize that they were such good friends…"

The hand that was still in hers got oddly still, which caused her ramblings to die on her lips and her head to snap up and finally look at him. That stillness in his hand seemed to be transferred to his face, where a look of shock was present. What had she said to garner such an expression? She didn't know, but she had never really seen Ikuto surprised like this and she couldn't help but be a bit happy.

He was keeping all of his promises to her. He was showing all of his sides to her. Nothing was hidden. Except, well…

"What's the matter? Was it something I said…?"

"Utau and…Kukai?"

"Kuukai."

"Right, Utau and Kuukai. They've been seeing each other a lot?"

"Yes." Amu could sense worry starting to bubble within her, "Is something wrong with that. They seem like they get along really well. I just never thought that they'd be friends."

She had only just finished her sentence when Ikuto rapidly asked her, "Have I met him before?"

"I think so. Here was there when Utau kissed you that one time…"

"He had brown hair."

"Yeah, why?"

Finally, that frozen shock melted off Ikuto's face and his lips split into a grin; that really sneaky, teasing grin of his, with that "I-know-something-you-don't-know" chuckle following right after it.

"I-ku-to, tell me why you're laughing!"

"Nope, not gonna tell. Now, close your eyes?"

"Why?"

"I have a surprise for you. Plus, it seems as if you've been avoiding looking at my face this whole time."

"I-I have not!"

"That's a lie, but that's beside the point. Close your eyes."

His voice: soft but demanding. And it was because of this tone that Amu found herself relenting and closing her eyes.

Immediately she was consumed by pure blackness, and for a panicked second she was quite certain that Ikuto would just up and leave her without any form of good-bye. Fortunately, his hand hadn't let go of hers and, in fact, she could sense him coming closer to her. The heat from his body was pouring off of him and slowly spreading over her own skin, his scent was overwhelming her sense of smell, and his free hand was brushing away strands of her hair.

Everything was happening so quickly, that Amu briefly wanted to back out and away from it all, distance herself. But then it was there: the soft touch of Ikuto's lips on her closed eyelids; touching once and then touching twice. When his lips were gone, so was his warmth, his scent, and the feel of his hand in hers, and upon opening her eyes, Amu was greeted by a sight that didn't surprise her: an empty lot and a bench with only herself sitting upon it.

It was okay though. He kept his promises. So Amu was sure that she would see him again. Yes, she would see him again, next year.

-()-

**Side Story**: The Life and Times of Guardian Characters

It was like any other day at the Royal Gardens. That is, except for the fact that Amu and the other Guardians were currently staring upward at their fully human, and teenaged, Charas. How it happened none of them knew. But somehow, magically, as Yaya had put it, this had happened.

Of course, upon meeting in the Royal Garden, it was quickly decided that Tsukasa-san was to know of this incident ASAP, and that the Charas were most likely going to have to stay in the Royal Gardens and use it as their home, though Tadase suggested the Planetarium during the autumn and winter months, should the Charas still be human. No one, though, was quite sure what they should do with Pepe, who had not turned into teenaged humans like the rest of them, but into an actual, live baby.

Kairi, who had conveniently been visiting his sister, suggested that she and Nikaidou-sensei should look after Pepe. They were, after all, one of the few adults who actually knew about the existence of Shugo Chara. The others took quickly to this suggestion.

Eventually Utau showed up, accompanied by Kuukai, with their Charas trailing in behind them. It was noted by the younger Guardian owners that Kuukai and Utau's Charas did not look all that much older than them. And, in fact, were happily chatting amongst themselves. Utau's facial expression however, certainly did not match her Charas moods. "Has Ikuto come yet?"

The question had been directed solely at Amu, who found herself embarrassed at the sudden attention. But it was Tadase who answered, "No, not yet. But I'm sure he'll be stopping by soon."

No sooner had Tadase said this then Ikuto walked through the doors of the Royal Garden, dragging Yoru in behind him on a children's leash. "He keeps trying to take off, damn ADHD," was Ikuto's answer to all of their silent inquiries. Yoru turned out to be surprisingly human, much to everyone's (even Yoru's) expectations, Rima suggested that Yoru had more human like qualities about him than cat ones, which lead to him turning him rather than into an actual cat. The answer seemed reasonable to the rest, whom all just ended up shrugging the odd occurrence off, for by then, nothing really seemed odd anymore.

As they all waited for Tsukasa-san to pull his tightly connected strings and get the Charas all set to go to school, they shared their stories of getting the Charas out of their houses. Some had no problem at all, such as Ikuto, but others had to deal with _four_ unexpectedly human Charas or legitimate babies and therefore had to be a bit more sneaky and creative when they left their houses this morning.

They also debated on whether or not Yoru was a teenager in age, a kid, or, as Yaya suggested, simply a Cute Shotaro Boy. And so, it was deemed that he was a Cute Shotaro Boy.

When it seemed as if they had wasted away the whole day in the Royal Gardens, Tsukasa-san finally appeared, letting everyone in the Royal Garden know that all of the Charas (with the exception of Pepe, of course) would be attending Seiyo High School.

In his hands were the mandatory high school uniforms, and on everyone's mind was the somewhat scary thought that, by tomorrow, the Charas would attend school.

Where, as it is to be expected, all of the fun, drama and romance will really take place.

-()-

_A/N: And there you go! The side story has a very "and I am obviously setting up the Disposition" feeling about it. That was done on purpose! XD It was meant to set everything up quickly and be pretty blunt about it. Also, don't expect the characters to be very IC at all (as exampled by Ikuto in this chapter). The next chapter of the side story should be a bit more interesting and detailed too, since we actually get into drama and romance and stuff._

_Some cultural notes:_

Cute Shotaro Boy_: The easiest way to explain this character type is to give examples: Momiji from _Fruits Basket_ and Honey from _Ouran High School Host Club_. High school boys who look far younger than they actually are and invoke _moe_ in females! XD _Moe_ is a whole other can of worms that I won't open up right now._

Houseki_: it_ _means gem._

Kuukai vs. Kukai_: In Japanese sometimes holding out or not holding out a vowel can make all the difference in meaning; though when these things get translated (or transliterated, as in the case above) they don't make much of a difference. Either Kuukai or Kukai is acceptable, since the extra 'u' doesn't make a difference in pronunciation when it comes to English, as is the case with Tokyo (which is actually written Toukyou in Japanese). Ikuto mishears Amu pronouncing Kuukai's name, and says Kukai, which is a name, but it spelt with different Kanji than Kuukai's name is, and therefore has a different meaning…And, you know, isn't Kuukai's name! : p_

_Wrapping this all up, please tell me what you think of this chapter (and the side story) in a review and take care!_

-Lily-


End file.
